


Fly with me

by nebul4ma



Category: Good Omens (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Circus, Drama & Romance, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-15
Updated: 2019-10-06
Packaged: 2020-10-18 19:07:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20644181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nebul4ma/pseuds/nebul4ma
Summary: After years of training, and after countless rejections from many different places, Aziraphale finally gets hired as an aerialist at one of the newest, most popular Cirque de Eden! A little late, however, and by the time he gets there, the season has already begun, and all the other performers already have their little cliques, and he doesn't feel like he really fits in. Will he be able to make his way here, with the help of the tall, dark, and handsome roadie Crowley? Or will the ostracization be too much for him to take, especially when aerialists need to work together?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I JUST finished good omens about an hour before writing this, and I wanted to wait to start writing this au until I was done. I found this idea along with some amazing artwork from the-pastel-peach on tumblr! Go check it out, they made really cute artwork for their au and I had ideas immediately when I saw it. And I know that they're pretty much the same heigh, but I live for a good height difference, so Aziraphale gonna be an adorable shorty!!
> 
> Now I have absolutely no knowledge about actual aerial arts and the like, aside from the kinds of things they perform on, so I may describe something that is actually physically impossible, but I dont know if it sounds cool I'll add it in XD

Another day, another rejection letter, most likely. How many had it been so far? He wasnt sure. Perhaps he should have gone to actual university instead of continuing down the performance path. 

Aziraphale sighed as he collected his mail from the small lock box on the first floor of his dingy apartment complex. It was all he could afford, with working part time and having to travel all around for auditions.

See, his dream was to become a world renowned aerialist! He always loved how graceful and beautiful acrobats looked when doing their routines, and how they could enrapture an audience with a simple twirl in a hoop, or fall and catch themselves in the aerial silks. Even as a child, he hoped one day it could be him.

His grandmother had helped him pay for lessons. Even after she passed, she left him enough money to finish his training. Although, his parents didn't support his dreams, and told him to give it up, or leave. And so, he left. With some left over money, he was able to get an apartment, and found a job at a small antique and book store just down the block that had enough flexibility for him to take time off to audition to join acrobat groups, a circus, or hell at this point he'd even take a carnival that only came around once a year! He just wanted to perform!

And he was not very hopeful as he entered his apartment and pulled out a letter opener. Might as well get the disappointment over sooner rather than later.

> _"Dear Mr. Fell,_
> 
> _We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to join the ever growing family at Cirque de Eden._
> 
> _Should you choose to accept employment, please contact Mr. Newt Pulsifer with the number located below. _
> 
> _We hope you are as excited as we are to have you join our Flying Angels aerialist group, and we hope to hear from you soon._
> 
> _Sincerely, _
> 
> _Anathema Device, Cofounder and Ringmaster of Cirque de Eden"_

Aziraphale had to read the letter three times for it to finally sink in. He... he did it..

He actually got accepted!

His eyes grew blurry and a few happy tears splashed against the letter. Wiping them away, he quickly ran and grabbed his phone. First things first, he had to call Mr. Pulsifer!

\--------------------

Aziraphale looked at his watch. It was half past 1pm. His ride was late. And he felt very awkward standing at a train station that felt like it was in the middle.of nowhere, apart from a small gas station, motel, and a spattering of small houses. 

It had already been two weeks since Aziraphale got his acceptance letter from the Cirque de Eden. He wished he had been able to come sooner, but he had to wrap up a few affairs. Some didn't do over as well as he had hoped. Mainly with his parents. They didn't take it too well that he was actually going through with joining the circus. He was positive his mother had over dramatically thrown herself against their chaise lounge and sobbed, crying about what an embarrassment he was.

He didn't care. He was on the road to what he knew would make him happy! And that was all he needed.

He looked at his watch again. 1:35. He wasnt one to get impatient, but he was getting anxious. Had he gotten the day wrong? Surely not. Maybe the time? That was more likely.

All of a sudden, a car came screeching up. It looked like it was straight out of a time capsule! Although extremely well preserved. In his love of books, he had read a few about the early years of cars. This looked like a 1933 Bentley.

He was a bit distracted by the obviously amazing job at restoration that he jumped when the driver said door opened and slammed shut.

Out sauntered a tall, thin man, at least a good 6 inches taller than him, with red hair, sharp cheek bones, and dark sunglasses with side covers so you couldn't even peek to see what his eyes looked like. He walked around the car with swagger and stopped near Aziraphale with an eyebrow raised.

Clearing his throat, Aziraphale offered a smile. "Ah... hello there. My name is Aziraphale Fell. Might you be uhm..." he pulled out a small slip of paper from his pocket. "Anthony J. Crowley?"

The man made a bit of a face, shoving a hand into his pocket. "I told that kid not to give out my full name. Look, it's just Crowley, alright? Nothing more, nothing less. Got it?"

Aziraphale's mouth snapped shut and he nodded, a bit taken back by the abrasiveness of this... Crowley. 

"Well? Is this all your stuff? Let's get it in the trunk so we can get back," Crowley said, stepping around Aziraphale to a large trunk that sat on the ground next to him. 

Aziraphale gasped, "Wait be careful with-"

"What in the hell is in this thing?" Crowley asked, astonished that the trunk was a lot heavier than he anticipated. He had almost slipped trying to lift it while not being prepared.

Aziraphale flushed, a bit embarrassed. He stepped forward and popped open the trunk, revealing several wrapped bundles. He grappled one and pulled back the wrapping to reveal an old looking book, the hard cover fraying just a bit in the corners and the pages yellowed from age. Aziraphale had a wistful smile on his face. "My most treasured collection. I had more, but I had to part with them before coming here. I brought only my absolute favorites, the rest I gave to a dear friend."

He quietly wrapped the book up and placed it gently in its place once more. He looked up to see Crowley staring at him, though he couldn't tell what the red head was thinking. He waved a hand, an apologetic look on his face. "Sorry, probably not the most important thing to discuss at the moment," he added softly, closing the trunk and lifting it with ease. Hw caught a look of shock from.Crowley at how easily he was able to lift the trunk and he chuckled softly. 

See, Aziraphale did not have the super lean, muscled body most aerialists had. He was... soft, and was a bit on the thicker side. But that had nothing to do with his talent. He was strong enough to lift himself, and a number of other things, and was still as graceful as a swan. He was glad someone was finally able to see his worth. 

Crowley grabbed his other bags, he only had a large duffle bag, and smaller suitcase filled with clothes. "Well... it's good to share things about yourself, ' Crowley muttered as he came up next to Aziraphale, helping him lifted the trunk high enough to be placed in the car. He sounded almost tender in his words, and Aziraphale shot him another smile.

Crowley looked away and cleared his throat as.he straightened up. "Let's get going. It's a bit of a haul to the site."

Aziraphale nodded silently and moved to the passenger side. Before he could get the door handle, he felt Crowley loom over him from behind, closer than he would have expected the other to get, and open the door for him. With a happy thank you, Aziraphale say down and buckled in, watching Crowley's long legs bring him around to the driver's side in just a few steps.

The ride itself felt lomger than it actually was due to the awkward silence between them. Aziraphale wasnt really sure what to say, or if it was appropriate to ask Crowley anything. And Crowley didn't appear to interested in chatting either. Or did he? Aziraphale couldn't tell, the man was hars to read. That and he looked... kind of pissed all the time. He hoped it wasn't because of him.

He was thankful when they finally reached the site. He had seen the massive black and white striped tent in the distance as the approached. And he could barely contain his excitement, doing his best not to squirm in his seat.

As they pulled up, there was another tall man with dark hair and glasses. He looked as excited as Aziraphale felt, and he couldn't help but smile.

Once the car rolled to a stop, Aziraphale got out and greeted the man. "You must be Mr. Pulsifer. It's a pleasure!"

"The pleasure is mine, Mr. Fell. And please, call me Pulsifer. Or Newt, but most call me Pulsifer. We're all so glad you're finally here! Let me show you around," Pulsifer replied, glancing around Aziraphale to look at crowley, who was leaning against the car. "Could you take his things to the apartments? There should be a room or two open on the second floor, if not definitely the third."

Crowley waved a hand and got back in the car, driving around the tent towards a collection of buildings. It looked like a small town. He would have to check it out later, maybe there would be a decent restaurant there.

"Well now, let me show you around. After that, maybe you could do a quick.aolo show for us? I know the other angels and our roadies, the demons, are looking forward to seeing what you can do. My wife, Anathema, says that aerial silks are your specialty."

Aziraphale nodded. "Indeed. I've been working on a new finale, and I think I've finally got the hang of it, wi I would love to show you."

Pulsifer nodded, pleased, and ushered Aziraphale into the big top.

\--------------------

Crowley banged his head in the edge of the steering wheel a few times. He thought about doing it a few more, too, but knowing Pulsifer, the new guy would be doing a performance at the end of the tour.

And God knows he didn't want to miss that.

When he first drove up to the train station and saw Aziraphale standing there, dressed nicely in khaki and a long coat, even complete with a bowtie, he was sure Anathema had made a mistake hiring him. Although... the white-blond hair and blue eyes that looked up at him when he walked up made him feel like the guy was a legit angel. Not to mention he looked quite soft, and... Admittedly, he absolutely had a thing for soft guys. 

He didnt know the exact moment he absolutely developed a crush on the newest angel in their troupe, but he decides it was seeing his face when he talked about his books. He looked... sad, bit also extremely happy. He had mentioned he had to leave a lot of his books behind to come here, and that struck a cord in Crowley. 

But that damn car ride!

Curse his awkwardness and not being able to converse normally with cute guys... his only saving grace was that Aziraphalw couldn't see him glancing over at him constantly. More so when they got closer to the sight. The angel was practically ready to tuck and roll right out of the car with excitement. Crowley really hoped he wouldnt.

Now he was delivering the new guy's things to their apartments. Their main site was in the outskirts of a fairly large town. Unfortunately the train didnt shoot over to it, and instead the nearest train station was about a 20 minute drive through the middle of no where. Poor planning, in his opinion. But the town itself was still nice. It had shops and restaurants, a small neighborhood, and a few apartment complexes. 

Maybe he could show Aziraphale around later...

That was thinking for later! He had to hurt it up!

As quickly, and gently as he could, he carried Aziraphale's things up to the second floor. Unfortunately, there weren't any more rooms available, so he had to bring it up to the third floor.

The first available room was right next to his own.

He had silently hoped for that, but it could be a major distraction... not that he really minded. If it meant seeing Aziraphale a bit more often, he didnt care.

He placed the trunk of books on the bed, for easy access once AIraphale came in to set up, and he placed the duffle bag and suitcase on top of the dresser.

With a satisfied nod, he turned to leave and stopped, a throbbing pain shooting from his knew. He swore. He had hoped it wouldn't flare up today, but he supposed he was being too hopeful. Limping to his room, he grabbed his brace and slipped it on before heading back out to his car and driving back to the tent.

\--------------------

Aziraphale could already tell the other angels didn't like him very much. Gabriel especially. Though he acted nice, his voice dropped in condescension. He knew he wasn't... the same body type as them, but he could do just as good of a job entertaining the crowds, and he would prove it!

Having undressed down to the leggings and workout shirt he had been wearing under his clothes while the roadies, or as Pulsifer called them, the demons, set up the aerial silks. From what he had learned, the demons were the roadies, but they also had performances. They did animal acts, but they sisnt use exotics. Instead, they trained cats, dogs, even birds of all kinds to do tricks and interact with the crowds. Honestly, Aziraphale was happy they dodmt have tigers or elephants. Those kinds if animals were best left in the wild, living their lives.

A side flap of the tent opened up, and in walked Crowley. He was as straight saved as ever, and still wearing his sunglasses. Did he ever take them off?

Aziraphale noticed some kind of brace on his left knee, as he was favoring that side a little as he walked. He hadn't been wearing that before. He wondered what happened, but knew it wasmt polite to ask. He took a seat in the stands next to some teenagers, who were apparently the circus clowns and handled concessions or the box office when Pulsifer couldn't be there. They all seemed to adore Crowley, and judging by the faintest of smiles in his face, he cared for them as well.

He didn't realize he was staring until he felt a tap on his shoulder. He jumped slightly, and turned to see the ringmaster herself, Anathema, smiling at him. With a smile, she guided him into the ring.

"I'm glad you're finally here," she said. "I've been so excited for everyone to see your skills."

Aziraphale smiled. "And I'm excited to show them," he replied happily. "Now about some music..."

Anathema waved a hand. "Don't worry, we have that covered. What do you like to perform with? We have just about everything, rock, metal, pop," she listed off.

"Ahh actually," Aziraphale cut in. "Do you have anything classical or just instrumental? Anything will do."

With a bit of a surprised look, Anathema nodded and walked away, going into a small, closed off booth with a glass window. She messed around with a few CDs and then have him a thumbs up. Aziraphale nodded and did a quick stretch before quickly scaling the white silks hanging down from above.

He thought he was pretty good at improvising, and since he didn't recognize the song that was now playing, that's what he had to do.

The music swelled, and he began, gracefully moving from trick to trick. He turned out the people watching him and did what he was trained to do. The song took over and he let his body spin and flip while holding firmly to the long fabric.

As the music came to an end, he fell. Dont worry! It was his finale! He had pulled the silks up towards him, and as he fell, arms barely wrapped in the silks, the fabric fluttered up behind him, looking just like wings. He slowed himself just enough for a graceful landing, where he gave a deep bow, breathing heavily as he came out of his performance state.

The teens all cheered like crazy, and he heard clapping from the others watching as well. When he looked up, he saw the Angels looking straight faced as they applauded calmly, the demons looked fairly impressed, Anathema looked pleased at the other's reaction, Pulsifer was losing his mind along with the teens, and Crowley...

Crowley looked dumb struck. His sunglasses had been pulled down slightly, he was leaning forward, and his mouth hung open slightly. The look of amazement on his face made Aziraphale blush slightly.

"You're amazing! I'm glad we snatched you up before another troupe did!" Pulsifer exclaimed, clapping him on the back as Aziraphale made his over to the stands. As he walked over, the other angels all stood and walked off. He... wasn't sure how to feel about that. It was obvious he wasmt what they were expecting, but his skills should have been enough to prove he was worthy of being there. Well... at least the kids and the owners seemed happy to have him there. The demons and Crowley, he wasnt too sure.

Crowley had regained his composure by the time Aziraphale and Pulsifer had made their way over, he was lounging back against the seats, glasses back in their normal spot and mouth closed once more.

Crowley looked at Pulsifer. "Itll be hard to fit him into the current acts we have here," he said, making Aziraphale frown. So... was he going to be kicked out, if he couldn't fit in?

But Crowley wasnt finished. "Those cars are all about how the angels are like one. But he stands out. He's going to need a solo performance."

Pulsifer looked as surprised as Aziraphale felt. "You think so?" Pulsifer asked, rubbing his chin. "I'll run it by Anathema, but you're right. Aziraphale does need a solo act."

"Yeah he does!" Pepper, one of the teens exclaimed. 

The other young one nodded emphatically, then were called by the demons so they said their good byes, leaving Aziraphale with Crowley and Pulsifer.

"I'll go chat with my wife about the show. Again, great job, Aziraphale. I'll see you both later!"

Both Aziraphale and Crowley waved goodbye, and were left in an awkward silence.

Aziraphale gathered his clothes, which he had left near where Crowley had ended up sitting. He was a little sweaty from the exercise, so he decided to just slip his shoes back on and take a seat on the bleachers.

Crowley cleared his throat as he moved to sit next to Aziraphale on the first row of bleachers, legs stretched out in front of him.

"You were incredible to watch," he said, offering a slightly smile to Aziraphale. "I dont think I've ever seem someone pull off a finale quite like that."

Aziraphale blinked, a bit surprised, but he smiled and chuckled softly. "I'll admit, it took me a while to figure it out. It's kind of a strange feeling. Free falling like that, I mean."

"I can imagine," Crowley mused, stretching back and extending one arm behind Aziraphale on the bleachers behind him, and the other to the opposite side. He had a tendency to lounge just about anywhere. "Almost had a heart attack watching you fall"

"Oh... dear, I'm sorry," Aziraphale apologized, eyebrows knitting together.

Crowley let out a laugh. "I'm just joking. I watch the angels fall all the time. Though it's kinda fun watching those snobs fall. Especially Gabriel. A right prick, that one. Don't let them get to you. They're so obsessed with being perfect, and hate when theres a disruption to the status quo."

Aziraphale let out a breath as Crowley laughed, happy that he wasnt as stoic as he normally appeared. He smiled and nodded. "I won't. I know my skills were enough to get me here. If they want to be upset about it, it's no worry of mine."

Crowley looked pleased at his answer, then stood. "Well, since you're all done for the day, let me take you to your new place. After that, I can show you around the town."

Aziraphale nodded, smiling wide as he stood. He could finally tell that he and Crowley would get along just fine. Perhaps, he let his mind wander, they'd get to know each other a lot more. He shook his head a bit. Now was not the time to have those kinds of thoughts about someone he just met!

Chatting idly, they both got into the Bentley, and drove off toward town, and both excited to see where things go from here.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such a late update!! I dont have a set updating schedule cuz everything is always so hectic :c example: I'm getting over being hella sick rn but imma do my best to get in a semi regular update schedule!
> 
> Also cant remember if I mentioned before, but I type all my chapters on mobile so if there are any typos, I apologize!

A week and a half had passed since Aziraphale came to his new home. It hadn't been too exiting, so far. Mostly just getting to know everyone who worked there, practicing, and setting up his place. He hadn't even had time to really explore the town yet!

He had gotten to know some of the others, though. And to be honest, he didnt feel like he was fitting in with the people he was supposed to be fitting in with.

The other Angels, his fellow performers in acrobatics or otherwise, were all very... for lack of a better term, uppity. They were almost obsessed with perfection and sticking to routine. Which wouldnt have been a problem if Crowley and Pulsifer hadn't suggested he get a solo performance. Apparently, none of the other Angels performed solo. They either performed as a group of three or more or they did duets. And the head of the group insisted that Aziraphale not be an exception to the rule.

Anathema's hands were tied, Pulsifer had told him. Despite the Cirque de Eden being popular, they couldn't afford to have their main attraction. Up and leave. He promised that he would try to get Aziraphale a solo, but he told the man it was ok. As long as he got to perform, Aziraphale was happy.

Even the demons, who Crowley said were the roadies but called themselves that to match the theme, seemed against him, now, despite looking quite impressed when he first performed. They all avoided him as best they could, barely sparing a hello or even a nod of acknowledgement. 

Except Crowley.

Crowley seemed to actively seek him out. Made a point to chat with him a few times a day, often invited him over for a cup of tea before they went to work, even offered to show him around town once they both had time.

It made Aziraphale smile, knowing at least one person was glad to have him there. Though wherever Crowley was, the children weren't far behind. They called themselves 'the Them' which seemed like a strange name to him, but Crowley advised him not to voice that opinion. Apparently they were quite defensive of the name. 

They seemed to take a liking to him pretty quickly. Perhaps it was because they tried to copy Crowley in action, and Crowley was always kind to him.

So, at least, he had The Them, Crowley, Anathema, and Pulsifer. Seemed like a fine group to him. He knew he would have to at least try and get along with the other Angels, hopefully they tried as well.

He thought about this as he got ready to go to practice. Dressing in his usual work out shirt and tight pants, slipping on running shoes, and grabbing a bag packed with a couple water bottles, a sweat towel, and a shamge of clothes if he got too sweaty. Which... he normally did. Performing at an actual circus was definitely more of a work out than he initially anticipated. 

As he walked towards the door, he heard a knock. A small smile crept onto his face. Right on time.

He opened the door, smoke widening. "Good morning, Crowley," he greeted at the tall red head looming in his door way.

Crowley returned the smile. "Ready to go, Angel?" He asked. Aziraphale noticed that Crowley called only him Angel, and none of the others. He had to admit, it made him feel kind of special.

With a nod, he stepped out, making sure to lock the door behind him. The whole building housed only members of the circus, but he was still paranoid. He had a lot of valuable books with him!

"Last practice until show time, eh? Feeling nervous at all?" Crowley asked as they made their way down to the parking lot.

Aziraphale thought for a moment. "Honestly, I don't think it's all hit me quite yet. All of this still feels like a dream, and I'll wake up back in the city working part time at a book shop and living in a cramped studio flat," he mused. It wasn't horrible, his past life, but he was miserable because he wasnt doing what wanted to.

Crowley nodded, humming softly. Then he reached over and pinched Aziraphale's arm. With a yelp, Aziraphale swatted Crowley's hand away and looked at him in bewilderment. "What was that for?"

Crowley, holding back a laugh, replied, "to prove you aren't dreaming. Apparently pinching helps remedy theories that you're in a dream. Not really sure how that works and all, but figured I'd give it a go."

Aziraphale shook his head but chuckled slightly. Crowley was definitely weird. But... he kind of liked that.

They got into the pristine old Bentley and drove off, soon arriving at the tent. Crowley park around back as usual, and Aziraphale gathered his things.

"Ah, Angel," Crowley spoke up before Aziraphale could get out. He seemed a little nervous as he continued. "Since you still haven't seen the town, how about going to dinner with me and then walking around? I can show you some of the cool spots around here, if you'd like."

Aziraphale smiled. "That would be lovely, Crowley dear. It'll be nice to finally learn where things are."

Crowley visibly relaxed, a grin spreading across his face. "Great. I'll be waiting here as usual after practice, and then we can both head to the apartment to get ready."

Other cars began pulling into the lot. The other Demons, the Angels, The Them riding in with Anathema and Pulsifer, everyone. They all showed up at the same time, as usual.

"Perfect, I will see you this evening then," Aziraphale replied, and stepped out of the Bentley and disappeared into the tent.

\--------------------

Crowley watched Aziraphale disappear into the tent wistfully. While Aziraphale thought he was in a dream getting the performance job he always wanted, Ceowley felt like he was in a dream because Aziraphale was... well... he was perfect. 

He was kind, passionate, and genuinely seemed to like Crowley's company. Not to mention he was smoking hot. Soft curves would be the death of him, he was sure of it.

A knock on his window made him jump slightly. He turned to see Beelzebub with a raised eyebrow staring at him. Rolling his eyes behind his shades, he shut off his car and got out.

Once he was, Beelzebub shook their head. "Can you make it any more obvious you have a thing for the new Angel? It's a little pathetic."

Crowley grumbled. "As pathetic as you sleeping around with a certain angel and refusing to admit you have feelings for him?" He snapped a counter. Quietly enough so that no one else could hear. He wasnt a big enough asshole to out someone like that.

Beelzebub fumed and stomped off, leaving a smug Crowley locking up his car and heading around to the front of the tent. There was only a couple of days left until opening night, and there were a lot of little things left to do. Anathema had tasked him with placing the final touches on a few things around the box office, making sure the posters were still in good shape, checking stock on food and merchandise, things like that. Most of the big things were ready to go and couldn't be set up until the show started anyway, so this was the time most if the Demons slacked off. Because once the shows began, they would be running around like crazy people making sure the show ran smoothly. 

He didnt know how much time passed as he worked. He had a tendency to get very focused and ignore what was going in around him. That is, until he heard shouting and yelling inside the tent. Adam came running out, spotting him and rushing over, a scared look on his face.

"Damn, boy, what the hell is the matter?" Crowley asked, a bit startled to see Adam so freaked.

Adam's breath was heavy pants as he finally reaches Crowley. "It... its... Aziraphale... he-"

Crowley was already running towards the tent.

\--------------------

When he entered the tent, he saw the Angel's milling about, looking more annoyed than worried. Crowley grimaced and looked around. He then spotted Anathema sitting on a bucket, facing the bleachers with Pulsifer standing next to her. He could see Aziraphale's tuft of white-blonde hair poking into view over Anathema's head.

Rushing over, he over heard part of their conversation.

"It was just an accident, Anathema, I'm fine."

"If they hadn't tested the confetti cannons, you wouldnt have missed the bar. I'm so sorry, Aziraphale."

Crowley peered over Anathema's shoulder and saw Aziraphale leaning back with his foot in her lap. His ankle looked red and swollen. Like he had twisted it. His heart dropped. 

Aziraphale had fallen.

Pulsifer noticed Crowley first and greeted him calmly. "Oh perfect, Adam found you. There was a small accident and Aziraphale fell. Luckily the Angels weren't performing at max height, they were only high enough to not touch the ground when they swung. Looks like he just twisted it, but could you take him to the clinic to make sure it's not worse than we think?"

Aziraphale looked up at him, and Crowley could tell Aziraphale was putting up a string facade. Crowley knew all too well how bad a fall could actually be. How devastating. 

He nodded silently and helped Aziraphale up. Realizing the height difference would make supporting him while they walked kind of difficult, he said a quick excuse me and scooped Aziraphale up like it was nothing. With a soft grasp of surprise, Aziraphale quickly wrapped his arms around Crowley's neck as he took off in long strides without another word.

Glancing over, he thought he caught a smug smirk spread across Michael's face before they turned away.

Crowley could feel rage growing inside of him. He would get to the bottom of who hurt his Angel. You could count on it.

\--------------------

The car ride into town was the complete opposite from the morning. Aziraphale was too freaked out to say anything, his anxiety building inside him as he expected to worst.

He had never fallen before. He was always so focused too, enough so that things happening around him didnt distract him. But for whatever reason, the Demons had set off the confetti cannons in a test run, and the explosion was loud enough to make him release too early and in turn making him miss the bar he was supposed to grab. He was able to land in his feet, but he had slipped and messed up his ankle.

And now he was headed to a doctor to make sure he wasn't more injured than initially thought. If he was, his dreams of performing could be over. No matter how nice an employer is, theres no reason to keep an injured performer in payroll. 

They pulled into the clinic, and Crowley got out, looping around the car to help him. Once again, the man scooped him up and carried him into the clinic. He shouldnt be getting used to Crowley carrying him, but his long arms holding him close was almost enough to make him break down and cling like a baby to him.

They were seen immediately, the doctors all too familiar with their local circus performers getting injuries.

A press here, a poke there, and Aziraphale's ankle was soon wrapped in bandages to keep it stable and told. "Just a light sprain, keep off it as best you can for about a week, and take it easy for another week or two after that."

Once the doctor left, the tears came.

Crowley, who had been extremely tense until they heard the news, was now fussing over him and his crying.

"Oh, Angel, the doctor said you're fine. What are the tears for?" He asked, lifting Aziraphale's face and wiping his cheeks.

"I... I-I was really afraid," he started, body wracked with sobs, "That he w-would tell me that I could never perform again."

Crowley's features softened and he gently pulled Aziraphale into a hug. Burying his face against Crowley's soft cotton shirt, he sobbed until he had calmed down, but he didnt let go of Crowley. He didnt want to.

But unfortunately they had to head home. Aziraphale was given some crutches to hel pool him get around, and he almost swore he saw Crowley out a bit over the idea that he wouldnt get to carry him again.

"Well, I suppose exploring the town in foot is out of the question until you're healed, but we can still have dinner," Crowley offered as they got back into the car. The red head helped Aziraphale in and then tossed the crutches in the back seat.

Once Crowley took his place behind the wheel, Aziraphale agreed. "Dinner sounds delightful. What did you have in mind?" 

Crowley grinned. "Well, since you agreed, I want to keep the actual restaurant a surprise. Let's head home first and we can both freshen up a bit. Then we'll hit the town."

Aziraphale smiled and nodded. Despite the near scare he had, he was glad that their plans hadn't completely fallen through.

He was excited to see where Crowley would take him. And he, secretly, hoped it would feel like a date.

\--------------------

There he was, standing next to his bentley wearing a dark maroon dress short, black tie, black suit vest and slacks, and polished black shoes. What could he say? Black was his color. He hoped he wasn't over dressed... but the restaurant was the fanciest in town, and he wanted to look good. Jot that bit was a date. Was it? They hadn't established that... he wished he had...

"I didnt think you would beat me down, Crowley dear, not when I'm so fast with these crutches," he heard a voice call over from the door of the apartment building. Looking up, he smiled as he saw Aziraphale. 

He looked much like he had the first day they met at the train station. Tan suit pants and long jacket over a white shirt and brown vest with a tartan bow tie. Even so, he looked amazing.

"Its hard to beat me in just about anything, Angel," he replied, opening the passenger door open for him. Aziraphale said a soft thank you and carefully got in. Tossing the crutches in the back, Crowley got in the driver's seat.

"So are you ready ready for some delicious food and good wine?" Crowley asked. Aziraphale chuckled.

"Absolutely. I am, what the kids would call, a foodie. I'll try anything at least once."

Crowley raised a suggestive eye brow and posed. "Good thing I'm a snack, then," he said flirtatiously, but with a little joking inflection just in case.

Aziraphale grinned in return, a slight tough of pink gracing his cheeks. All he could manage was "Good thing indeed," softly.

Crowley held back a surprised sputter and just grinned, own cheeks turning a bit pink. He cleared his throat and started the car. "Well, let's be off then."

That response gave Crowley hope. And he hoped the night would end with more than just a friendly good night.


End file.
